Of Nightmares and Lullabies
by Bloody Rainbow
Summary: The nightmares, the imaginary friends, everything. It was all real, and there was nothing he could do to stop what had happened. It was out of his hands, and all because of that dreaded lullaby from his childhood.


Hey to all out there in FanFiction land! This is the first story i've EVER published here. I've been playing with the plot a bit in my head, and finally decided to throw out a chapter. This is the first of many, so be on the lookout. I'm going to write this story out, even if I don't get very much feedback, but it would still be appreciated. Very much so in fact! ^_^ Anyway, read on and let me know what you guys think!

This is rated T for now, but for later chapters it'll be M. I'll be sure to change it when the time rolls around.

**Disclaimer:** Ooooh! My First! I need to make this witty and fun. But my brain's kind of being my enemy right now and it says it doesn't want to come up with anything. -sigh- well! I guess we'll just go with the standard. I DON'T OWN NARUTO!

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A lone whisper called out into the night, or what appeared to be night anyways. The darkness that enveloped this place, it was unlike any other he had experienced before. Blackness was all that could be seen, or not seen. The boy took an awkward step forward, feeling the dark consume him. He held a hand in front of his face, so close he could feel his palm brush against the tip of his nose, and still he could not see it. He quirked his head to the side in thought, trying to figure out why it was so incredibly, well, dark.  
A feeling loomed in the air, leaving a small shiver to rip down the boy's spine. He didn't know what this place was, but he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. But at the same time, there was a sense of familiarity here. Something he knew or something he had known. It left him conflicted, with the most obvious of questions leaving his lips. But that wasn't unusual.

"Why is it so dark?" He whispered, assuming, _knowing_ he wouldn't get an answer, but that didn't stop him from asking.

However, his mind stopped completely as a dark chuckle filled the air, leaving the blonde hairs on the back of his neck prickling. Who or _what_ was that? He could sense that the thing wasn't human, and one could call it instinct, but really, it was more than that. The sense of familiarity slammed into him with the force of a tidal wave, demanding attention. Apparently the creature didn't like to be ignored. It left the boy speechless, simply waiting to see what this thing wanted with him. Obviously it wanted something, or it wouldn't have responded to his silly question at all.  
Another, more violent shiver ran down his spine, leaving behind a trail of paralyzing fear to the boy's system. It was the last thing he could remember before his senses were overrun with the creature's voice.

"In the beginning, it is always dark."

--

Naruto woke with a start, his blue eyes shooting wide open at the feeling that lingered in his body. Just what the hell was that? It was making him feel like his entire body was on fire, but the feeling was fading fast, so he didn't have time to really place what it was. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he sat up slowly, hardly noticing the ache in his arms and legs as he moved. He shook his head, blonde spikes flying from side to side as he tried to clear his mind of his dream. His dream…that's all it was right? Just a dream. He narrowed his eyes at his brain. It was making him feel stupid, and damn it he didn't like it when his brain did that! It was _his_ brain! What right did it have to make him feel like an idiot? With a sigh, he tried to convince himself again. Yes, that was all it was. It was all a dream. There was no evidence that it was anything else, but then, why did it seem so real?

"They usually do."

"What?" He asked on reflex. Eyes snapping up to find where the new voice was coming from, Naruto noticed for the first time that he was not at home in his bed. No, he was in fact in some room he didn't know, in some bed he didn't know, with some guy he didn't know! What the hell? What had gotten him _here_ of all places? The fact that he didn't even know where 'here' was didn't sit well with the blonde. But what was really getting to him was the fact that he didn't know how he had gotten there in the first place. That was the most important part right? Whatever he had done led him to where he was now, but…surely he couldn't have done anything _that_ drastic last night right? He didn't even drink! Yeah, sure, someone could have slipped him something, but he couldn't even remember if he had gone to a party or not. Something told him that no, he hadn't. But then, that still didn't answer any of his questions.

Naruto's eyes connected to the man across the room, having almost completely forgotten about him. _Almost_. He had said something. What was it again? Something about 'they usually do.' What kind of psycho babble was that?

"What are you talking about?"

Without even so much as a glance up, the man replied. "The dreams usually seem real."

Naruto's eyes narrowed instantly. Alright, that was no dream. He was sure of it now. If the weird surroundings didn't do it for him, then what made him absolutely positive was the fact that he couldn't seem to remember a single damn thing. Not to mention this guy was creepy, he must have had some kind of mind reading power, because he sure as hell hadn't said anything out loud!

"Alright. What the hell is going on?" he yelled, opting to not keep his voice at an 'indoor level.' What did he care? He wasn't about to be polite until he started to get some answers.

A moment of silence passed between the two, with Naruto glaring at the guy something fierce while he continued to ignore the blonde. Why wasn't he answering him? Could he not be bothered to answer a question? He obviously knew something, it was written all over his face. The face that was currently turned away from him so he couldn't really see it…but still! It was there, and it was oh so obvious that he was just ignoring Naruto to get a rise out of him.

And it worked.

"Answer me damn it! I'm not some wad of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. I deserve answers, now give them to me!" He demanded, slamming his fist against the wall beside him. He ignored the shooting pain that throbbed in his hand, instead focusing on the guy's every movement as he turned around to face the blonde.

For the first time since he had entered the room, Naruto actually _looked_ at the man. He took in everything, from the dark pair of shoes on his feet to the dark hair on his head. He was tall from what Naruto could tell, it was a little hard to say because the guy was sitting down. But he looked to be about the blonde's height, give or take an inch. His shoes were black and shiny, like they had just been bought, which they probably were. His eyes scanned over the black trousers that seemed to hug his skin just right, and followed over the navy blue work shirt that fell into a v-neck around the collarbone, showing off pale skin. Pale, yes, but not flawless. His attention was caught on 3 splotches of black that peaked out from the back of the guy's shoulder. So, he had a tattoo. Hm, well that meant his notion of the guy being a stuffed shirt was thrown out the window. Guys with tattoos were not stuffed shirts, but that didn't mean all his first impressions of the guy were wrong. He could still be a bastard. Actually, there was nothing in the rule book saying that a guy with a tattoo couldn't be a bastard. Naruto knew plenty of them, so 1 out of 2 wasn't so bad. Stuffed shirt, no. Bastard, yes. Until proven wrong, which the blonde assumed he wouldn't be. The guy just looked irritating.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto registered the crisp white doctor's jacket that fell over the entire outfit, the name 'Uchiha Sasuke' stitched into it neatly with red thread. So he was an Uchiha? Yep. He was definitely a bastard. No doubts about it now. The Uchiha's were known for their stoic, heartless ways, and he figured this offspring to be no different. A little intrigued now that he was dealing with an infamous Uchiha, his eyes trailed up a pale neck and over a strong jawline, crawling further back to inspect the black, spastic case of bed head that this Sasuke guy undoubtedly called 'hair.' His bangs framed his face, shining blue under the room's superficial light. Distantly he wondered if it was natural. Probably. Who would dye their hair to get that effect anyway? Dark eyes sat behind the dark bangs, hidden even further behind dark rimmed glasses.  
Jesus, was everything about this guy dark? He would make the perfect goth, what with the pale skin, dark everything, and bastardly ways. Not that all Goths were bastards, but meh. Whatever. It didn't matter. Stupid thought.

The glasses seemed to be reading glasses, though why he would need them when he didn't have anything out to read was beyond him. Maybe he just thought they looked good, or maybe he was just a blindy. Who knew, who cared. He watched as the guy pulled a clipboard out of one of the giant pockets of his coat before sitting in his lap. Oh, so that's what he needed the glasses for.

"Hm. See something you like?"

Naruto pulled his attention back, and stared at the man in front of him in disbelief. What? Wow this guy was cocky. Naruto instantly found it amusing that he had so much confidence in himself when they hadn't even really talked yet. And it wasn't like he was gawking at the –his voice took on a swooning fangirl's tone in his head- 'hotness that was Uchiha Sasuke.' He smirked at that, and shot out his comeback easily.

"In your dreams. Just wanted to know what the bastard, insane folk looked like these days."

He smirked at the quirked eyebrow he received from 'Sasuke.' But it didn't last long. The smirk fell from his face at the guy's reply. He wasn't really expecting a comeback like _that._

"Interesting choice of words." Sasuke stated, making the blonde's eyebrows crease together in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?

Suddenly he opened his mouth, ready to rip tear into this guy as the reasons for even talking to him came rushing back. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now! However, he was cut off before he could say anything.

"Your name."

Naruto stared at the man, looking very much like a landed fish with his mouth still open. What did his name have to do with anything?

"What?" he asked, finally closing his mouth.

Sasuke sighed, looking away from the blonde and out the small window on the other side of the room. "What is your name?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at the Uchiha. "Why do you need to know that?" He asked, suspicion lacing his words.

"Just answer the question." Sasuke replied, his eyes finding Naruto's once again.

"And why the hell would I do that? Isn't it written on your precious little clipboard that's right in front of you? Or are you too blind to see it?" He shot back, starting to get irritated. What did his name have to do with any damn thing? Of course he knew his name, and he knew Sasuke knew it too. So what was the problem here?

"Answer my questions first." Sasuke's voice was firm yet slow, as if explaining something to a five year old.

Naruto crossed his arms in defiance. "And if I don't?" He asked, testing his boundaries.

The Uchiha answered back casually, seeming as if he couldn't care less about the situation. "Then you don't get yours."

The blonde's eyes shot open before he hopped to his feet, a smile widening his face. He was too happy that he was actually going to get his answers to care that he had to make some sort of deal for them. It wasn't like telling Sasuke his name was anything hard.

"Well in that case! Why didn't you just say so!" He yelled. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm 19 years old. I grew up in Konoha and I'm blood type B. My favorite food is ramen and I have plenty of friends. My best friend is Kiba and I don't have a girlfriend. I'm not allergic to anything and I have no idea why I'm in here. Does that about answer all your questions?"

The response he got was nothing short of amused. Naruto looked down from his spot on the bed to see a smirk playing on the Uchiha's lips, his cold, distant eyes staring back into Naruto.

"What?" he asked, sitting back down on the edge of the mattress. "Is there something else you need to know?"

Sasuke merely watched him, his eyes scanning over the blonde before he shook his head and placed the clipboard back in his pocket. Naruto watched the movement as he swung his legs back and forth, the bottom of his feet grazing the ground every once in a while. There was a slight dizziness in his head now, he noticed. Probably from a sudden height change, he usually got a little light headed from suddenly jumping up and then sitting back down. It wasn't like it was uncommon or anything.

After a moment, Sasuke rose from his chair and walked back to the door that was opposite Naruto. The blonde watched in confusion as Sasuke opened the door and began to leave.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" He called, getting a little frustrated. "I still don't know anything!"

"Your nurse will be in in a moment to change your bandages." He stated and left without another word.

Naruto stared at the door, utterly puzzled, a little pissed off, and slightly scared. "Bandages?"

It was only then that he brought his hands to his face and felt the squares of gauze sitting on each of his cheeks. How had he missed those? he wondered, laying back down on the mattress and feeling over the rest of his body for any other injuries. A small sigh of relief left his lips when he came to the conclusion that there wasn't anything else, but it didn't help to calm the feeling of worry that continued to grow in the pit of his stomach.

"What happened last night?"

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Ok. So i'm pretty sure you're all confused. As you should be. I didn't really explain...well...anything in this chapter. But things will come along soon. Promise.

Reviews? OH! And this hasn't been beta'd. So if anyone feels the need to come and correct my work, feel free!

I feel like a n00b... but that's alright. -throws fist upwards in determination- I will work past it and nothing will be able to hold back the burning passion inside of me. Youthful spirits conquer all!

Whoa. No more channeling Lee for me.


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